Rain Partier

BlueStreak wrote:You can always borrow my hardcovers and see if that appeals to your tastes.

When I have less stuff in a pile to read I might take you up on that if the offer's still open. Just got 2 feet of tpbs and gns this week. I wish I could take a lot of time to read it all, but I have to stay highly motivated to sell things both in the shop and online through the new year and also have a few in town and out of town things to buy or sell at. Can't believe it's that time of year again already.

Rain Partier

BlueStreak wrote:You can always borrow my hardcovers and see if that appeals to your tastes.

When I have less stuff in a pile to read I might take you up on that if the offer's still open. Just got 2 feet of tpbs and gns this week. I wish I could take a lot of time to read it all, but I have to stay highly motivated to sell things both in the shop and online through the new year and also have a few in town and out of town things to buy or sell at. Can't believe it's that time of year again already.

"Being offended is not to be confused with a state of grace; it’s the occasional price we all pay for living in an open society." -- Ian McEwan

Zombie Guard

Punchy wrote:That's already out, I saw it in my shop today, and King Impulse has a copy.

Yeah, it looked so good. I had to leave really quickly though because Doctor Who cosplay guy was in there and it was like having knives shoved into my teeth.

Dunno how approachable Scarlet #3 will be, but Invincible #75 should be a huge blowout issue and I have a big soft spot for Connor Kent, especially in his lil' Trinity with Bart and Tim. I wish those guys had their own road trip book\sitcom.

Zombie Guard

Punchy wrote:That's already out, I saw it in my shop today, and King Impulse has a copy.

Yeah, it looked so good. I had to leave really quickly though because Doctor Who cosplay guy was in there and it was like having knives shoved into my teeth.

Dunno how approachable Scarlet #3 will be, but Invincible #75 should be a huge blowout issue and I have a big soft spot for Connor Kent, especially in his lil' Trinity with Bart and Tim. I wish those guys had their own road trip book\sitcom.

Founder of The Outhouse

Also I read Incognito today and will review tomorrow. I have a sneaking suspicion that I'll be using the word 'Sleeper' a hell of a lot in this week's review.

I don't see the comparsions to be honest. Sure, face value, they're there but, overall, Sleeper is about a guy trying to figure out who he is while Incognito is about a guy trying to see where he fits.

Also I read Incognito today and will review tomorrow. I have a sneaking suspicion that I'll be using the word 'Sleeper' a hell of a lot in this week's review.

I don't see the comparsions to be honest. Sure, face value, they're there but, overall, Sleeper is about a guy trying to figure out who he is while Incognito is about a guy trying to see where he fits.

Outhouse Editor

Ed Brubaker and Sean Phillips together gives me the same feeling I've only felt a few times before: Chris Claremont and John Byrne, Stan Lee and Jack Kirby, George Perez and Marv Wolfman, George Perez and Steve Englehart, George Perez and just about anybody but I digress.

Acutually I haven't read volume 1 yet but it's in my personal list of must reads. After reading this I moved it up to the top of that list. I can't remember the last time I enjoyed a comic as much as this. Both art and dialogue come together here in such a perfectly symbiotic way that it transcends the average comic book. I can't imagine if you enjoyed the first volume you could not like the beginning of this one. I hate having to choose after a near perfect pick like this.

Outhouse Editor

Ed Brubaker and Sean Phillips together gives me the same feeling I've only felt a few times before: Chris Claremont and John Byrne, Stan Lee and Jack Kirby, George Perez and Marv Wolfman, George Perez and Steve Englehart, George Perez and just about anybody but I digress.

Acutually I haven't read volume 1 yet but it's in my personal list of must reads. After reading this I moved it up to the top of that list. I can't remember the last time I enjoyed a comic as much as this. Both art and dialogue come together here in such a perfectly symbiotic way that it transcends the average comic book. I can't imagine if you enjoyed the first volume you could not like the beginning of this one. I hate having to choose after a near perfect pick like this.

Story: 9.5Art: 9.5My Score: 9.5

"I wish you enough sun to keep your attitude bright.I wish you enough rain to appreciate the sun more.I wish you enough happiness to keep your spirit alive.I wish you enough pain so that the smallest joys in life appear much bigger.I wish you enough gain to satisfy your wanting.I wish you enough loss to appreciate all that you possess.I wish enough "Hello's" to get you through the final "Good-bye.."

OMCTO

Victorian Squid wrote:Except the last arc of Criminal has a lot of the same problems in terms of following a course readers of genre fiction are all too familiar with.

The Sinners was genuinely suspenseful, though. Lawless had three sets of people after him: the boy-killers, the army investigator, and his mob boss. So while the book was going over familiar terrain (I won't argue with you that the basic plot was cliche), it had enough twists and bumps to make you want to see what happens next.

OMCTO

Victorian Squid wrote:Except the last arc of Criminal has a lot of the same problems in terms of following a course readers of genre fiction are all too familiar with.

The Sinners was genuinely suspenseful, though. Lawless had three sets of people after him: the boy-killers, the army investigator, and his mob boss. So while the book was going over familiar terrain (I won't argue with you that the basic plot was cliche), it had enough twists and bumps to make you want to see what happens next.

Rain Partier

Eli Katz wrote:The Sinners was genuinely suspenseful, though. Lawless had three sets of people after him: the boy-killers, the army investigator, and his mob boss. So while the book was going over familiar terrain (I won't argue with you that the basic plot was cliche), it had enough twists and bumps to make you want to see what happens next.

Just about, yeah, but the next volume should really try to open the scope of the book more...I don't feel very articulate at the moment so I can't be much clearer right now.

Writing crime fiction is hard, it's much more difficult than people imagine when readers are even moderately well-versed in the genre, to keep them interested. Sometimes it falls to characters, and in Lawless I felt like I had seen them all many times.

Rain Partier

Eli Katz wrote:The Sinners was genuinely suspenseful, though. Lawless had three sets of people after him: the boy-killers, the army investigator, and his mob boss. So while the book was going over familiar terrain (I won't argue with you that the basic plot was cliche), it had enough twists and bumps to make you want to see what happens next.

Just about, yeah, but the next volume should really try to open the scope of the book more...I don't feel very articulate at the moment so I can't be much clearer right now.

Writing crime fiction is hard, it's much more difficult than people imagine when readers are even moderately well-versed in the genre, to keep them interested. Sometimes it falls to characters, and in Lawless I felt like I had seen them all many times.

"Being offended is not to be confused with a state of grace; it’s the occasional price we all pay for living in an open society." -- Ian McEwan

OMCTO

Victorian Squid wrote:Just about, yeah, but the next volume should really try to open the scope of the book more...I don't feel very articulate at the moment so I can't be much clearer right now.

Writing crime fiction is hard, it's much more difficult than people imagine when readers are even moderately well-versed in the genre, to keep them interested. Sometimes it falls to characters, and in Lawless I felt like I had seen them all many times.

Well, I agree completely. I could never figure out why Bru kept saying that Tracy Lawless was his most popular character in the Criminal universe. "Huh?" I kept saying to myself. Tracy was easily my least favorite protagonist, and his first arc, Lawless, remains my least favorite Criminal arc.

OMCTO

Victorian Squid wrote:Just about, yeah, but the next volume should really try to open the scope of the book more...I don't feel very articulate at the moment so I can't be much clearer right now.

Writing crime fiction is hard, it's much more difficult than people imagine when readers are even moderately well-versed in the genre, to keep them interested. Sometimes it falls to characters, and in Lawless I felt like I had seen them all many times.

Well, I agree completely. I could never figure out why Bru kept saying that Tracy Lawless was his most popular character in the Criminal universe. "Huh?" I kept saying to myself. Tracy was easily my least favorite protagonist, and his first arc, Lawless, remains my least favorite Criminal arc.

Wrasslin' Fan

This was more of a set up issue to get readers up to speed on where Zack's life currently stands than anything else (it was page 19 when the plot finally began), but it was excellent at doing this and the twists that his life has taken since the last time we saw him are all engaging. I loved the psych evaluation scenes, everything having to do with Zack and Zoe's relationship and the obvious hatred that Van Chance and Zack have for one another.

The plot itself is also interesting, it should be fun to see Zack twist and turn morally as he infiltrates Level Nine in his search for Simon Slaughter. It was that choice of morality between being a hero or a villain that Zack found himself in that made the first Incognito such a great read. Its comforting to know that this aspect hasn't been forgotten, because its a big factor that makes Incognito what it is.

This was more of a set up issue to get readers up to speed on where Zack's life currently stands than anything else (it was page 19 when the plot finally began), but it was excellent at doing this and the twists that his life has taken since the last time we saw him are all engaging. I loved the psych evaluation scenes, everything having to do with Zack and Zoe's relationship and the obvious hatred that Van Chance and Zack have for one another.

The plot itself is also interesting, it should be fun to see Zack twist and turn morally as he infiltrates Level Nine in his search for Simon Slaughter. It was that choice of morality between being a hero or a villain that Zack found himself in that made the first Incognito such a great read. Its comforting to know that this aspect hasn't been forgotten, because its a big factor that makes Incognito what it is.

9 out of 10

Last edited by Stephen Day on Sun Oct 31, 2010 10:01 pm, edited 2 times in total.